Top Ten Tips for Happy Bassoonists!
In my 25 years as a collegiate instructor, I have had the wonderful opportunity to interact with a large number of bassoonists at various ages and stages of development. During these interactions, I observed that the students that were having difficulty with the instrument were struggling with many of the same issues. The goals of […]
Keeping Your Bassoon in Great Shape!
The day has finally come and your brand new bassoon has arrived at your doorstep! How exciting! Over the course of my career I have owned three bassoons and I can still vividly remember opening up the case of each of them for the first time. The keys were shiny, the wood spotless, and of […]
Diversions in Twelve Tone Technique: John Harbison’s Canzonetta for Bassoon Quartet
Composer, conductor, poet and arts educator John Harbison is the quintessential example of a modern-day renaissance man. He has composed for nearly every classical music genre from chamber, to symphonic, to opera with many of these works being critically acclaimed and entering the standard repertoire. As a conductor he has led ensembles specializing in the […]
Quartettino for Four Bassoons (1939) – William Schuman An Analysis and Guide To Performance
The life of William Schuman (1910-1992) encompassed nearly every facet of American music in the twentieth century. His contributions to composition, education and arts administration spanned the major portion of the twentieth century and have benefited several generations of musicians in this country and abroad. Schuman’s professional career began as an instructor and choral […]